''Ghulami'' () is a 1985 Indian
Hindi
Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...
-language
action drama film
In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-gen ...
directed by
J. P. Dutta
Jyoti Prakash Dutta (born 3 October 1949) is an Indian Bollywood film producer, writer and director, best known for making patriotic action war films.
Personal life
Dutta is married to the Bollywood film actress Bindiya Goswami with whom he has ...
(in his directorial debut). The film features an ensemble cast of
Dharmendra
Dharam Singh Deol (born 8 December 1935), also known mononymously as Dharmendra, is an Indian actor, producer and politician who is known for his work in Hindi films. Known as the first " He-Man" of Bollywood, Dharmendra has worked in over 301 ...
,
Mithun Chakraborty
Mithun Chakraborty (born Gouranga Chakraborty; 16 June 1950) is an Indian actor, producer and politician who predominantly worked in Hindi and Bengali language films. He is a former Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament. He is the recipient of three ...
,
Mazhar Khan,
Kulbhushan Kharbanda
Kulbhushan Kharbanda (born 21 October 1944) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi and Punjabi films. He is best known for his role as the antagonist Shakaal in '' Shaan'' (1980), Starting off with the Delhi-based theatre group 'Yatrik' in the 1 ...
,
Raza Murad
Raza Murad (born 23 November 1950) is an Indian actor who appears primarily in Hindi films.
He has over 250 Bollywood film credits. Murad has also appeared in Bhojpuri and other regional-language films and on Hindi television.
Early life
He i ...
,
Reena Roy
Reena Roy (born Saira Ali; 7 January 1957), is an Indian actress. At the age of 15, she made her film debut with the drama ''Zaroorat'' (1972), but gained wider public recognition with her roles in the romantic comedy ''Jaise Ko Taisa'' (1973) a ...
,
Smita Patil
Smita Patil (17 October 1955 – 13 December 1986) was an Indian actress who worked in films, television series and theatres. She appeared in over 80 Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Gujarati, Malayalam and Kannada films in a career that spanned just o ...
,
Anita Raj
Anita Raj Khurana (born 1962 or 1963) is an Indian actress and daughter of Jagdish Raj, whose notable roles include Films Prem Geet (1981), Ghulami (1985), Kusum in ''Zara Si Zindagi'' (1983), Anita in ''Zameen Aasman'' (1984) and Shobha in ...
,
Naseeruddin Shah
Naseeruddin Shah (born 20 July 1950) is an Indian actor. He is notable in Indian parallel cinema. He has also starred in international productions. He has won numerous awards in his career, including three National Film Awards, three Filmfare A ...
and
Om Shivpuri
Om Shivpuri (14 July 1938 – 15 October 1990) was an Indian theatre actor-director and character actor in Hindi films.
A National School of Drama, New Delhi alumnus, Shivpuri became the first chief of the National School of Drama Repertory Co ...
. Lyrics were by
Gulzar
Sampooran Singh Kalra (born 18 August 1934), known professionally as Gulzar, is an Indian Urdu poet, lyricist, author, screenwriter, and film director known for his works in Hindi cinema. He is regarded as one of greatest Urdu poets of this ...
and music by
Laxmikant–Pyarelal
Laxmikant–Pyarelal were an Indian composer duo, consisting of Laxmikant Shantaram Patil Kudalkar (1937–1998) and Pyarelal Ramprasad Sharma (born 1940). He is known by the nickname “Pyromaniac” due to his flaming style of music.
Laxmikan ...
, the latter of whom would go on to collaborate with Dutta in all his films until ''
Kshatriya
Kshatriya ( hi, क्षत्रिय) (from Sanskrit ''kṣatra'', "rule, authority") is one of the four varna (social orders) of Hindu society, associated with warrior aristocracy. The Sanskrit term ''kṣatriyaḥ'' is used in the con ...
'' (1993). It was shot at
Fatehpur, Rajasthan
Fatehpur is a city in the Sikar district of Indian state Rajasthan. It is part of the Shekhawati region. It is midway between Sikar city and Bikaner on National Highway 52.
It is also the land to Havelis built by Marwari Seth's. It also has ...
.
Amitabh Bachchan
Amitabh Bachchan (; born as Amitabh Shrivastav; 11 October 1942) is an Indian actor, film producer, television host, occasional playback singer and former politician known for his work in Hindi cinema. He is regarded as one of the most succe ...
narrated the film.
Plot
The film focuses on the caste and feudal system in Rajasthan. Ranjit Singh Chaudhary (
Dharmendra
Dharam Singh Deol (born 8 December 1935), also known mononymously as Dharmendra, is an Indian actor, producer and politician who is known for his work in Hindi films. Known as the first " He-Man" of Bollywood, Dharmendra has worked in over 301 ...
) is the son of a peasant, living in a village which is dominated by a rich landlord Thakur family. As a teenager studying in the village school, Ranjit is rebellious and defiant against deep rooted caste prejudices and discriminatory practices. He is bullied by the two sons of the landlord, who are of his own age. Two girls who also study in the same school are sympathetic to Ranjit. These are the daughter of the school-master and the daughter of the rich landlord (sister of the bullies). Sick of the exploitation he sees around him, Ranjit runs away to the city.
Several years later, Ranjit's father dies and a telegram summons Ranjit back to the village to perform the last rites. Ranjit returns, to find that nothing has changed in the village. He is also told that his father had taken loans from the landlord to pay for his medicines and healthcare, and that Ranjit now is required to repay those loans, or forfeit his lands and house, which was the collateral for the loan. Ranjit feels that this is a great injustice. His logic of reasoning is that the peasants have been tilling the land and working hard for many generations, that the landlord only owns the land and does no work, and therefore if the landlord has lent money to a peasant, the loan does not need to be paid back. A long and emotional monologue delineates this logic for the benefit of the viewers.
The circumstances clearly call for class war and revolution, which Ranjit duly proceeds to ignite. He begins by storming into the landlord's living room, accusing him and his ancestors of being blood-suckers, and challenging him to take possession of the mortgaged land if he dares. The landlord's daughter (
Smita Patil
Smita Patil (17 October 1955 – 13 December 1986) was an Indian actress who worked in films, television series and theatres. She appeared in over 80 Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Gujarati, Malayalam and Kannada films in a career that spanned just o ...
), who listens from behind a door, is deeply impressed by the scene created by her old schoolmate. Ranjit then retires to his house to perform his father's funeral, and bonds with his other friend, Moran (
Reena Roy
Reena Roy (born Saira Ali; 7 January 1957), is an Indian actress. At the age of 15, she made her film debut with the drama ''Zaroorat'' (1972), but gained wider public recognition with her roles in the romantic comedy ''Jaise Ko Taisa'' (1973) a ...
). The stage is set for a love triangle and for a revolutionary vendetta.
The love-triangle is however resolved very quickly. The landlord's sons (
Bharat Kapoor
Bharat Kapoor is an Indian film and television actor.
Career
He has been acting since 1972 and starred in the television series ''Bhagyavidhaata'' on India's Colors television channel between 2009 and 2011.
Filmography Films
* Jangal Mein Ma ...
and
Mazhar Khan) make an attempt to rape Moran (
Reena Roy
Reena Roy (born Saira Ali; 7 January 1957), is an Indian actress. At the age of 15, she made her film debut with the drama ''Zaroorat'' (1972), but gained wider public recognition with her roles in the romantic comedy ''Jaise Ko Taisa'' (1973) a ...
). She is rescued by Ranjit, who then marries her because she clearly needs a protector. The disappointed Sumitra (Smita Patil) then agrees to marry the police officer chosen by her father, the landlord. She however carried her unrequited love in her heart, and her husband soon discovers that she had been in love with this other man. He is incensed and joins hands with his two evil brothers-in-law in their bid to finish Ranjit. By this time, after a random gunfight or two, once over the fact that the landlord's men were collecting their share of the harvest from the village peasants, Ranjit had become a fugitive from the law. Therefore, it is possible for the police office to go after him, beat him up in jail, and so on.
The rest of the movie comprises general bloodletting. Ranjit is supported in his vendetta by Javar (
Mithun Chakraborty
Mithun Chakraborty (born Gouranga Chakraborty; 16 June 1950) is an Indian actor, producer and politician who predominantly worked in Hindi and Bengali language films. He is a former Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament. He is the recipient of three ...
), a villager who has returned home after serving in the army, and by Gopi Dada (
Kulbhushan Kharbanda
Kulbhushan Kharbanda (born 21 October 1944) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi and Punjabi films. He is best known for his role as the antagonist Shakaal in '' Shaan'' (1980), Starting off with the Delhi-based theatre group 'Yatrik' in the 1 ...
), the village police havaldar, whose son had been murdered by the landlord's henchmen for daring to ride a horse on his wedding-day despite being from a lower caste. The film ends with the slaughter of most of the protagonists on both sides. The violent climax underscores the harsh reality that the rebels always die, the cruel and unjust system does not.
Cast
*
Dharmendra
Dharam Singh Deol (born 8 December 1935), also known mononymously as Dharmendra, is an Indian actor, producer and politician who is known for his work in Hindi films. Known as the first " He-Man" of Bollywood, Dharmendra has worked in over 301 ...
as Ranjit Singh Choudhary
*
Mithun Chakraborty
Mithun Chakraborty (born Gouranga Chakraborty; 16 June 1950) is an Indian actor, producer and politician who predominantly worked in Hindi and Bengali language films. He is a former Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament. He is the recipient of three ...
as Javar Pratap
*
Naseeruddin Shah
Naseeruddin Shah (born 20 July 1950) is an Indian actor. He is notable in Indian parallel cinema. He has also starred in international productions. He has won numerous awards in his career, including three National Film Awards, three Filmfare A ...
as Thakur Sultan Singh
*
Reena Roy
Reena Roy (born Saira Ali; 7 January 1957), is an Indian actress. At the age of 15, she made her film debut with the drama ''Zaroorat'' (1972), but gained wider public recognition with her roles in the romantic comedy ''Jaise Ko Taisa'' (1973) a ...
as Moran Singh Choudhary
*
Smita Patil
Smita Patil (17 October 1955 – 13 December 1986) was an Indian actress who worked in films, television series and theatres. She appeared in over 80 Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Gujarati, Malayalam and Kannada films in a career that spanned just o ...
as Sumitra
*
Anita Raj
Anita Raj Khurana (born 1962 or 1963) is an Indian actress and daughter of Jagdish Raj, whose notable roles include Films Prem Geet (1981), Ghulami (1985), Kusum in ''Zara Si Zindagi'' (1983), Anita in ''Zameen Aasman'' (1984) and Shobha in ...
as Tulsi
*
Kulbhushan Kharbanda
Kulbhushan Kharbanda (born 21 October 1944) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi and Punjabi films. He is best known for his role as the antagonist Shakaal in '' Shaan'' (1980), Starting off with the Delhi-based theatre group 'Yatrik' in the 1 ...
as Havaldar Gopi Dada
*
Raza Murad
Raza Murad (born 23 November 1950) is an Indian actor who appears primarily in Hindi films.
He has over 250 Bollywood film credits. Murad has also appeared in Bhojpuri and other regional-language films and on Hindi television.
Early life
He i ...
as Fatehpur's Thanedar
*
Om Shivpuri
Om Shivpuri (14 July 1938 – 15 October 1990) was an Indian theatre actor-director and character actor in Hindi films.
A National School of Drama, New Delhi alumnus, Shivpuri became the first chief of the National School of Drama Repertory Co ...
as Bade Thakur
*
Avtar Gill
Avtar Gill is an Indian actor who appears predominantly in Hindi and Punjabi language films and television serials. He has done many plays with Indian People's Theatre Association Mumbai.
Selected filmography Films
* ''Noorie'' (1979)
* '' ...
as Shaamu
*
Bharat Kapoor
Bharat Kapoor is an Indian film and television actor.
Career
He has been acting since 1972 and starred in the television series ''Bhagyavidhaata'' on India's Colors television channel between 2009 and 2011.
Filmography Films
* Jangal Mein Ma ...
as Thakur Shakti Singh
*
Mazhar Khan as Thakur Jaswant Singh
*
Sulochana Latkar
Sulochana Latkar (born 30 July 1928) known by her screen name Sulochana, is a well-known actress of Marathi and Hindi cinema and has acted in 50 films in Marathi and around 250 films in Hindi. She is most known for her performances in Marathi ...
as Makhan Singh's wife
* Rammohan Sharma
as Masterji
*
Anjan Srivastav
Aanjjan Srivastav (born 2 June 1948) is an Indian film, television and stage actor, associated with Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA) in Mumbai of which he remained Vice-President for several years. Outside theatre, he is best known as ...
as Bade Thakur's Munim
*
Surendra Pal
Surendrapal Singh (born 25 September 1953) is an Indian film and television character actor who works in Hindi films and TV series. He is best known for his roles of Dronacharya in ''Mahabharat'', Amatya Rakshas in ''Chanakya'', Tamraj Kilvish ...
as Daku Suraj Bhan
* Rajan Haksar
as Makhan Singh Choudhary
* Huma Khan
as Singer
*
Soundtrack
The music was composed by
Laxmikant–Pyarelal
Laxmikant–Pyarelal were an Indian composer duo, consisting of Laxmikant Shantaram Patil Kudalkar (1937–1998) and Pyarelal Ramprasad Sharma (born 1940). He is known by the nickname “Pyromaniac” due to his flaming style of music.
Laxmikan ...
.
Awards
;
33rd Filmfare Awards
The 33rd Filmfare Awards were held in 1986, in Mumbai, India.
''Ram Teri Ganga Maili'' and ''Saagar'' led the ceremony with 10 nominations each, followed by ''Meri Jung'' and ''Tawaif'' with 7 nominations.
''Ram Teri Ganga Maili'' won 5 awar ...
:
Nominated
*
Best Film
This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards.
Best Actor/Best Actress
*See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...
– Nadiadwala & Sons
*
Best Supporting Actor –
Kulbhushan Kharbanda
Kulbhushan Kharbanda (born 21 October 1944) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi and Punjabi films. He is best known for his role as the antagonist Shakaal in '' Shaan'' (1980), Starting off with the Delhi-based theatre group 'Yatrik' in the 1 ...
References
External links
*
{{J. P. Dutta
1985 films
1980s Hindi-language films
Films set in Rajasthan
Films scored by Laxmikant–Pyarelal
Films shot in Rajasthan
Films directed by J. P. Dutta
Films about landlords
1985 directorial debut films
Films about social issues in India
Indian action drama films
1980s action drama films
Hindi-language action drama films
Films about the caste system in India
Films about Indian slavery